Learning English with music is so powerful! Not only is it fun, it helps you with so many things to improve your English.

Pronunciation. It helps you soooo much with pronunciation since you’re listening to someone pronounce the words. Music is different because you can stretch or slam together the words with the music. But this helps you with pronunciation since you’re hearing words in a different situation. Also, the words blend together so you’re listening to how the words sound when they’re not pronounced very clearly.

Rhythm. We all know that music has rhythm. Lots of rhythm. This helps you learn the rhythm of speaking English. You’ll know which words to emphasize and which words to not emphasize.

Vocabulary. Music is full of vocabulary that is important, not only because they are words that most people use during their normal conversation, but also because it includes <slang>.

If you need more ideas of how to use music to learn English, check out my blog post Learning English with Music that includes a free worksheet to use with the music “Good Grief” by Bastille. Also, who likes 21 Pilots?

Instead of looking at vocabulary, let’s look at phrases from the lyrics.

“I almost said what’s on my mind“

“On my mind” means that you’re thinking about something a lot, that it won’t leave your thoughts or your mind. It does NOT mean that something is sitting on your head.

Examples

You’ve been on my mind lately. (I’ve been thinking about you quite a bit lately.)

“Baby I’m crazy ’bout you“

When you’re crazy about something, it means that you like someone or something a lot.

Examples

I’m so crazy about you that I want to spend every day with you.

She’s so crazy about that chocolate ice cream.

“You had my heart a long, long time ago”

When someone has your heart, it means that you like someone romantically. It shows possession of your heart for someone else. You will do things you normally wouldn’t do because you like that person. (Or you can use it for an object as well.)

Examples

Chocolate ice cream has my heart.

Her husband had her heart from the very first moment she saw him.

“Girl it did me in“

When something does you in or did you in, it means that it made you faint or stopped you. In the romantic sense, it means that someone makes you faint or weak because you like them.

Examples

She does me in every time she wears that dress.

It did me in when he looked at me that way.

“You’ve got all of me“

When someone has everything of you, or has got all of you, it means that they possess everything of you. Romantically, you are theirs. You like them so much that they can have all of it.

Examples

He’s got all of me, holding nothing back.

I am yours, you’ve got all of me.

“Yeah you’re my everything“

When someone is your everything, they mean so much to you. They mean everything to you. You can’t lose them.

Examples

My husband is my everything. I can’t live without him.

He said, “You’re my everything. Marry me.”

As you’ve probably noticed, this song is about a man expressing his love for a woman. Almost all of these phrases express love for someone. What other phrases do you know that express love for someone? Let me know in the comments!